aggravate

/ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/

//ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"aggravate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“aggravate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,851 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#36,851
frequency rank, English
9
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make (an offence) worse or more severe; to increase in offensiveness or heinousness.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

aggravate vs aggregate
78% similar
aggravate vs aggravated
90% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for aggravate
PropertyValue
Headwordaggravate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,851
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aggravate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). aggravate lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for aggravate is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,851 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for aggravate, with forms such as "aggarvate", "aggraavte", and "aggravaet". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "aggregate", "aggravated", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is first attested in 1471 in Middle English, the verb in 1530; from Latin aggravātus, perfect passive participle of aggravō (“to add to the weight of, make worse, oppress, annoy”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suf… The correct English form is aggravate, spelled A-G-G-R-A-V-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make (an offence) worse or more severe; to increase in offensiveness or heinousness.
  2. 2
    To make (any bad thing) worse.
  3. 3
    To give extra weight or intensity to; to exaggerate, to magnify.
  4. 4
    To pile or heap (something heavy or onerous) on or upon someone.
  5. 5
    To exasperate; to provoke or irritate.

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1471 in Middle English, the verb in 1530; from Latin aggravātus, perfect passive participle of aggravō (“to add to the weight of, make worse, oppress, annoy”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to”) + gravō (“to make heavy”), from gravis (“heavy”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). See grave and compare aggrieve and aggrege. Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Synonyms

adulterateaggravatealloycankercontaminatecorruptdebasedebauchdefiledeflowerdegradedeterioratedowngradeenvenomexasperateexacerbateinfectimpairleavenpejorateset backstainsophisticateupliftvitiateweaken

Antonyms

ameliorateimprovemitigaterepairrestore

This word in other languages

agravar(Español)aggraver(Français)verschlimmern(Deutsch)agravar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aggarvate,aggraavte,aggravaet,aggravatte,aggravtae,aggravvate,aggrravate,aggrvaate,agravate,agrgavate,gagravate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of aggravate - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

aggarvate2aggraavte2aggravaet2aggravatte1aggravtae2aggravvate1aggrravate1aggrvaate2
Edit distance from "aggravate"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "aggravate"?
"aggravate" is spelled A-G-G-R-A-V-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/.
What does "aggravate" mean?
As a verb, "aggravate" means: To make (an offence) worse or more severe; to increase in offensiveness or heinousness.
What words are commonly confused with "aggravate"?
"aggravate" is commonly confused with "aggregate", "aggravated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aggravate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aggravate" is /ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "aggravate"?
The adjective is first attested in 1471 in Middle English, the verb in 1530; from Latin aggravātus, perfect passive participle of aggravō (“to add to the weight of, make worse, oppress, annoy”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-f... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “aggravate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-G-G-R-A-V-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæɡ.ɹə.veɪ̯t/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “aggregate” - see the side-by-side comparison. aggravate vs aggregate
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list